The School of Public Policy offers a Master of Public Policy, as well as joint degrees
with Pepperdine's top-ranked graduate schools. Research initiatives and our Davenport
Institute further explore the role of leadership in policy.

If you are a passionate student who is looking to make a difference and be an agent
of change, we encourage you to apply today. We will take a holistic approach at reviewing
your application while considering many factors. Financial assistance options are
available if you qualify.

Located in Malibu, California, 30 miles northwest of Los Angeles, Pepperdine University
provides graduate students access to a robust academic experience, a vibrant city,
and an array of valuable resources.

Conferences

Why Place Matters: Moving from Theory to Practice

The places where we spend our days—our homes, neighborhoods, and cities—shape us as
much as we shape them. They are central to who and what we are. And yet the "sense
of place" has been withering away in today's mobile, fluid world. Our 2011 conference
"A Place in the World," sought to identify the sources of this change. This follow-up
conference, held on March 22, 2012, went beyond diagnosis to prescription as we explored
the challenges facing policy makers as they seek to build an infrastructure for healthy
communities. The Davenport Institute and Pepperdine¹s School of Public Policy are
focused on turning ideas into practice and on the ongoing task of fostering local
communities peopled with engaged citizens.

Program:

Session OneModernity and the Problem of Place for Civic EngagementTed McAllister

Session TwoPlanning for Spontaneity: Moving from Theory to Practice in PlacemakingWilfred McClay

Session ThreeFrom Bell to the Beach: The Vital Relationship Between Place and Civic ParticipationPete Peterson

Speakers:

Wade Graham is an adjunct faculty member at the School of Public Policy and has written widely
on issues and policies related to urban life. He is active in national and regional
organizations that deal with environmental issues and water policies as well as developments
in urban design and planning.

Rod Gould is the city manager of Santa Monica, California. Prior to this appointment, Gould
also served as city manager of Poway, San Rafael, and Monrovia, California. He served
five years as assistant city manager of Walnut Creek, California, as well as president
of the City Managers Department of the League of California Cities and on the league's
board of directors. Gould served as the Davenport Institute's 2011 city manager in
residence.

Joe Mathews is a Los Angeles-based journalist and author. He serves as California editor at Zócalo
Public Square, Fellow at Arizona State's Center for Social Cohesion, and lead blogger
for NBC's California site, Prop Zero.

Ted V. McAllister is the Edward L. Gaylord Chair and associate professor of public policy at the Pepperdine
University School of Public Policy. He is an intellectual and cultural historian and
author of Revolt Against Modernity: Leo Strauss, Eric Voegelin, and the Search for
a Postliberal Order. McAllister is currently working on a book on Walter Lippmann
He served as the codirector of the 2011 "Place in the World" conference.

Wilfred M. McClay is the SunTrust Bank Chair of Excellence in Humanities at the University of Tennessee
at Chattanooga. He is also a Senior Scholar at the Woodrow Wilson International Center
for Scholars and a Senior Fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center and at the
Trinity Forum. McClay was the 2009-2010 William E. Simon Distinguished Visiting Professor
at the Pepperdine University School of Public Policy and codirector of the 2011 "Place
in the World" conference.

Pete Peterson (MPP '07) is executive Director of the Davenport Institute for Public Engagement and Civic
Leadership at the Pepperdine University School of Public Policy where he also lectures
on leadership and public engagement. He consults with cities throughout California
on participatory governance projects on issues from budgets to land use. He cocreated
and currently cofacilitates the training seminar, "Public Engagement: The Vital Leadership
Skill," a program offered around the country to municipal and civic leaders.

Ashley Trim (MPP '09) is the research coordinator for the Davenport Institute for Public Engagement and
Civic Leadership at the Pepperdine University School of Public Policy and an assistant
editor for Front Porch Republic. She served as a session chair for the 2011 "Place
in the World Conference" for a panel entitled "Mobility and Membership."